Elevator.



PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

A. AKER.

ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Inventor.

Anion/Aka];

PX c to r n e g s No. 789,311. PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

A. AKER.

ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17,1904.

2 MEETS-SHEET 2.

0 .1 I 5.: M M

Witnesses Httomegs NiTED STATES Patented May 9, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

ANTON AKER, OF HELENA, MONTANA, ASS'IGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO EDWARDHORSKY, OF HELENA, MONTANA.

ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,31 1, dated May 9,1905.

Application filed June 17,190 Serial N0. 213,011.

To all whom, it may concern."

Be it known that I, AN'roN Anna, a citizen of the United States,residing at Helena, in the county of Lewis and Clarke and State ofMontana, have invented a new and useful Elevator, of which the followingis a spcciiication.

This invention relates to elevators, and has for its object to simplifythe hoisting apparatus and to adapt the same for manipulation by handand by power in such a manner as to enable the convenient transfer fromhand operation to power operation, and vice versa, whenever desired. Itis furthermore designed to maintain an approximate counterbalancebetween the weight of the car and the coun terweight in directproportion to the amount of additional weight placed upon the car,thereby to insure an easy and regular movement of the car and tomaterially lessen the amount of hand-power required for manipulating theelevator by hand.

While the elevatorof the present invention is capableof general use, ithas been particularly designed for use in mine-shafts, where ahand-operated elevator is particularly desirable. ln this connection itwill be understood that the shaft of a mine-elevator is considerablylonger than the elevator-shafts of buildings. Hence the car has aproportionately longer path to travel, and therefore it isanother objectof this invention to provide for taking up unnecessary slack in thesuspension and counterweight cables when the car is to descend only apart of the length of the shaft and to unwind or pay out additionalportions of the suspension-cable and counterweight-cable when it isdesired to run the car to a considerable depth into the mine-shaft.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes inthe form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within thescope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing anyof the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation embodying the features ofthe present invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is anenlarged elevation of the top portion of the car, showing the means forremoving weight therefrom to maintain a counterbalance between the carand the counterweight. Fig. 4 is a crosssectional view on the line A iof Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the removableweights. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional View of the counterweight.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each andevery figure of the drawings.

The shaft of the present elevator includes the usual upright guidemembers 1, near the upper end of which are cross-bars 2 for the supportof the hoisting apparatus. This hoisting apparatus includes a fixedshaft 3, carried by the cross-bars 2, and a drum loosely mounted uponthe shaft and made up of three sectionsviz., the brake-section 4;, thepull-rope section 5, and a suspension and counterweight section 6saidsections being firmly clamped between duplicate heads 7 by means oftiebolts 8, which pierce the heads and the several drum-sections. In theouter face of each head is a concentric depression 9, forming a seat fora cap-plate 10, which is also pierced by the tie-bolts, there beingsuitable antifriction-balls 11 interposed between the cap-plate and theback of the socket receiving the same, thereby to provide anantifriction-bearing for the drum. The brake and pull-rope sections areof substantially the same diameter, which I is twice the diameter of theintermediate suspension-cable section. The section 5 is provided with anannular peripheral groove 12, which is substantially V-shaped incross-section for the reception of the endless pull rope or cable 13,which also travels around a loose guide-pulley 1 L, mounted in anysuitable manner at the bottom of the shaft. The brakesection 4 has aflat periphery, which lies between a pair of annular flanges 1A, withinwhich is received the brake-band 16, the upper end of which is securedin any suitable manner to the top portion of the elevatorshaft, asindicated at 17, from which the band depends and embraces the rear sideand lower portion of the brake-section. At the front of the upperportion of the shaft is a vertically-movable brake-lever 18, which isintermediately fulcrurned, as at 19, upon a portion of the shaft, withits inner end pivotally connected, as at 20, to the free end of thebrakestrap, while a brake-controlling rope or cable 21 depends from theouter end of the lever and engages a guide-pulley 22, carried by theelevator-shaft and arranged to maintain the pull-rope in position forconvenient access at the front of the elevator-car.

The car may be of any approved form, that which has been shown in theaccompanying drawings including a platform 23, from opposite ends ofwhich rise upwardly-inclined hangers or frame-bars 24, which have theirupper ends connected to a cross-bar 25. The cross-bar 25 is preferably awooden beam, which is reinforced by front and rear metal bars 26, whichare connected to the beam by means of suitable fastenings, the ends ofthe metal bars being projected beyond the ends of the beam, so as toslidably embrace the guide member of the shaft, there being suitableantifriction-rollers 27 mounted in sockets or recesses in the ends ofthe'beam and arranged for contact with the guides.

For the suspension of the car there is a suspension-cable 28, whichpierces the upper cross-bar 25 of the car-frame and secured thereto inany suitable or approved manner, with its upper portion extending aroundthe suspension -drum section 6 in the annular groove or way 29. Aperipheral series ofsubstantially radial pins 30 project outward fromthe back of the way 29 and alternately incline in opposite directionstoward the respective ends of the drum, with the suspension-cablepassing in a sinuous path between said annular series of pins, therebyto prevent slipping of the suspension-cable without necessitating thatsaid cable be wound several times around the drum and also wound aroundother drums or wheels, as in ordinary forms of elevators, therebymaterially simplifying the manner of suspending the car from the drum ofthe hoisting apparatus. After passing around the upper half of thesuspension-drum section the other portion of the suspension-cable passesdownwardly at the back of the shaft and is wound around the drum 31,which is mounted within the frame 32 of the counterweight and serves asa suspension means for said counterweight. The drum of the counterweightis provided with opposite terminal peripheral flanges 33 and anintermediate peripheral flange 34, dividing the drum into oppositehalf-sections, the suspension-cable being wrapped or coiled around oneof the sections of the counterweight-drum, with a drag-cable 35 wrappedor coiled around the other drumsection, with its lower end suitablyconnected to the bottom of the platform of the car, as indicated at 36.The suspension and drag cables are of course wound in the same directionaround the counterweight-drum, and said counterweight-drum is normallyheld against rotation by means of a clamping-nut 87, carried by theinner end of the shaft or pivot of the drum and capable of beingloosened by means of a wrench or lever 38 to permit of the car and thecounterweight descending simultaneously and to permit of rotation of thedrum, so as to unwind or pay out additional suspension-cable anddrag-cable to permit of an increased descent of the car. One of theflanges 33 is provided with a peripheral series of ratchet-teeth 39, asuitable ratchet-dog or pawl 40 being mounted uponthecounterweight-frameand cooperating with the ratchetteeth to preventreverse movement of the d rum. It will now be understood that thesuspensioncable and drag-cable are wound in the same direction aroundthe counterweight-cable to permit of additional portions of said cablesbeing unwound or paid out when it is desired to have the car traveldownwardly beyond the limit which has been previously fixed by lockingthe counterweight-drum against rotation.

It will be understood that the car and the counterweight aresubstantially equal in weight, so that by manipulation of the pull ropeor cable the hoisting-drum may be rotated to raise and lower the carwithout the application of any other power. However, should it bedesirable to employ power for running the car an additional cable 41 maybe run over the peripheral grooved portion 42 of the suspension-sectionof the hoisting-d rum with one end engaged with a hook 43, provided uponthe suspension-cable 28, near the top of the car, with .its other endconnected to any suitable type of hoisting-engine. (Not shown.) By thismeans the hoisting-drum may be rotated by power without altering orchanging any of the other parts of the apparatus.

In order to insure an easy running and manipulation of the car byhand-power, it is necessary to maintain anapproximate counterbalancebetween the counterweight and the car when additional weight is placedupon the latter, and therefore I propose to carry weights upon the carwhich may be readily removed therefrom in proportion to the additionalweight placed upon the elevator, and in this manner maintain anapproximate counterbalance between the car and the counter weight. Incarrying out this feature of the invention I employ a series ofsuperposed weights 44, resting upon the upper crossbeam 25 of the carand provided with terminal openings 45 for the reception of guide pinsor bars 46, rising from the top of the car.

At the middle of each weight there is a transverse slot or notch 47 toreceive the suspension-calole. When the car is at its upper limit, theseries of weights are received within sets of hangers 48 and 49, ofwhich the hangers 48 are at opposite sides of the weights and thehangers 49 are at the opposite ends thereof, said hangers beingsuspended from a cross-bar 50, carried by the elevatorshaft at the upperlimit of the movement of the car. The hangers 48 are provided with avertical series of openings 51, and the under sides of the weights areprovided with notches or grooves 52 to register with the respectiveopenings of the hangers and to permit of pins or keys 53 being passedthrough the openings in the hangers and through the notches in any ofthe weights, so as to support one or more of the weights upon thehangers, and thereby relieve the car of any desired amount of weight. Itwill of course be understood that the weights work easily upon the pins46 in order that the latter may readily withdraw from the weights whichare connected to the hangers when the car moves downwardly, and also topermit of the pins reentering the suspended weights when the car passesto its upper limit.

In order that any predetermined amount of weight may be removed from thecar, the weights are graduated and marked with the individual weightthereof in order that the desired number of weights may be removed fromthe car. These weights will of course vary in size according to thecapacity of the elevator. For a hand-operated elevator of mediumcapacity it has been found convenient to have the upper weight weigh onehundred and twenty five pounds and to have the weight of the sameindicated at the middle of the front thereof and at one end of the frontthereof, while the remaining weights preferably weigh twenty-five poundsapiece, which is indicated at corresponding ends of the weights, and thetotal weights of each weight and the Weights above the same beingindicated at the middle of the front of each weight. In the arrangementshown in the accompanying drawings there are twelve weights numberedfrom 1 to 12, inclusive, from the uppermost to the lowermost weight, andas the sum of each weight and the weights thereabout is indicated uponthe individual weights any given weight may be readily removed from thecar by inserting the pins 53 beneath the weight having the requirednumber of pounds indicated thereon. For instance, should a personweighing two hundred pounds step upon the car said car would of coursebe two hundred pounds heavier than the counterweight, and to maintain anapproximate counterbalance between the car and the counterweight it willbe necessary to remove two hundred pounds from the car, which can bereadily accomplished by inserting the pins beneath the weight marked 200lbs. to suspend two hundred pounds upon the cross-bar 50.

In the operation of this elevator and assuming that the car is at thetop of the shaft, the operator removes from the car a sufficient numberof the weights 4:4 to equal the com bined weight of the operator and theload which is to be carried to the top of the shaft, so that when theelevator-car reaches its lower limit and the load is placed thereonthere will be an approximate counterbalance between the weight of theloaded car and the counterweight, wherefore it will requirecomparatively little effort upon the part of the operator in pullingupon the cable 13 to elevate the loaded car. In this connection it willbe understood that when the operator pulls down upon the pull-cable toelevate the car he removes weight therefrom in proportion to the pullexerted, thereby lightening the ear and. facilitating its upwardmovement. \Vhen the car is empty and at the top of the shaft and weighthas been removed therefrom to descend, it is of course necessary for theoperator to manipulate the pull-cable sufficiently to overcome theexcess of the counterweight.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an elevator, the combination with a car and a counterweight, of aseries of superposed removable weights carried by the top of the car, ahanger supported within the shaft and disposed to receive the series ofweights at the upper limit of the car, and means to suspend theindividual weights upon the hanger and relieve the car of said weightsto maintain an approximate counterbalance between the car and thecounterweight when additional weight is placed upon the ear.

2. In an elevator, the combination with a car and a counterweight, of aseries of superposed individually-removable weights carried by the topof the car and provided with pinreceiving openings, a hanger carriedwithin the shaft and disposed to receive the series of weights at theupper limit of the car, said hanger being provided with a series ofopenings to register with the openings of the weights, and a pin capableof being passed through any of the openings in the hanger and thecorresponding openings in the weights to suspend any of the weights uponthe hanger and relieve the car of such weights to maintain anapproximate counterbalance between the car and the counterweight whenadditional weight is placed upon the car.

3. In an elevator, the combination with a car and a counterweight, of apair of pins rising from the top of the car, a series of detachablesuperimposed weights supported by the top of ,the car and havingopenings receiving pins, the under side of each weight being providedwith a transverse groove, a

cross-bar supported in the shaft at substantially the upper limit of thecar, hanger members depending from the cross-bar and disposed to receivethe Weights at the upper limit of the car, some of the members beingprovided with perforations to register With the grooves of therespective Weights, and a pin capable of being passed through any of theopenings in the hanger members and the grooves of the correspondingWeights to sus- IO pend any of the latter upon the cross-bar.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ANTON AKER.

Witnesses:

B. O. BROOKE, ANDREW H. MoGoNNELL.

